Two alleged foreign drug smugglers shot dead in Medan

Two foreigners who were allegedly part of an international drug syndicate were shot dead by North Sumatra Police in a crackdown on drug smuggling in Medan.

North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Agus Andrianto said the officers from the narcotics division were forced to shoot the suspects, an Indian national and a Malaysian, because they had fought back as the officers were trying to arrest them.

“The two foreigners that were shot dead were part of an international drug syndicate [operating in] Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia,” Agus said at a press conference in Medan on Monday.

He said police had also arrested 14 Indonesians who were allegedly involved in the same syndicate in various locations of Medan and Tanjung Balai.

Police confiscated a total of 14 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine during the arrests.

“The suspects have violated Article 114 of Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics. [They face] six to 20 years of imprisonment or the death penalty,” Agus said. (kmt)